As part of its Sustainable Food Plan, which began in 2015 and ended in 2020, the city of Rennes had the objective of reducing food waste in school canteens. Rennes' collective catering represents 12,000 meals per day in 83 schools, nurseries, retirement homes and administrative restaurants. The municipality collaborated with the             start-up in order to make an inventory of waste and to set up actions in the schools.

 

The objectives were as follows:

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- 20% of organic products in the canteens.

- 20% of sustainable products. 

- 50% of reduction of food waste. 

 

The broader objective is also to have more organic food and a stronger territorial anchorage, by favouring procurement from local producers. The fight against waste is an interesting lever from a financial point of view to improve catering services without spending more. 

 

Project progress:

 

Phénix worked with 5 schools in the city, all different in their geographical location or size. The overall waste was assessed by weighing what was thrown away at the end of the meal in starters, main courses, desserts and containers. 

Then new service modes were tested. The main idea was to make children more independent. For starters, the children could choose their portions and food from a salad bar. For the main course, two portions "small hunger" and "big hunger" were proposed. The children could also come and ask for more food if they wished. The results of weighing and wastage are displayed in the school to inform the children and to make them real actors in the reduction of wastage. Children are responsible for weighing the waste, and some are responsible for helping their peers to put the right things in the right bins. 

For the future, the aim is to try to reduce the quantities produced, adapting them to what is actually eaten in each school.

 

Another point on which the Phoenix start-up and the municipality have been able to work is the donation of uneaten food. In case of a strike, they now distribute meals to associations that may need them. Donation is easily possible when large quantities of food are not consumed, but on a daily basis, this is more complicated. Indeed, on average 10 to 12 portions of children's food are wasted per day. In order to solve this problem, an alternative is being tested in two schools, where students can collect the food and eat it in the evening. 

 

The results? 

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Over the period 2017-2020 the objectives of the action plan have been largely exceeded: